‘D’ H.A.A. Battery, R.A. - 6th H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A.

‘D’ H.A.A. Battery disembarked at Freetown from the United Kingdom on 22nd December 1941 and on 26th December it was re-designated to become the 6th H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A., regimented with the 2nd H.A.A. Regiment, W.A.A.  The Commanding Officer was Major B.G. Atkins.[1]

 

‘D’ H.A.A. Battery, R.A.

'D' H.A.A. Battery was formed in the United Kingdom on 12th October 1941 for service in West Africa, from part of the 408th H.A.A. Battery, R.A.  The Battery (89 Officers and men) sailed with Convoy WS 14, which left the United Kingdom off Oversay on 9th December 1941 and arrived in Freetown Harbour on 21st December.  The Battery disembarked the following day.  On 26th December 1941, the Battery was re-designated to become the 6th H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A.

 

6th H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A.

The 6th Battery took over the Murray Town site on 11th February 1942.  The site was handed over to the 1st H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A. on 25th February and went to take over the Kissi East sites.  Seventy-one A.O.R.s were posted to the Battery from the A.A.T.C. on 2nd March.  Two 4.5-inch guns were installed at C.3 on 11th and 12th March.  A further sixty-three A.O.R.s were posted from the A.A.T.C. on 28th April.  The A.3 site was taken over from the 197th H.A.A. Battery, R.A. on 28th April and the Battery H.Q. moved from Lumley Camp to the C.3 site.  The Aberdeen A.3 site was handed back to the 197th H.A.A. Battery on 8th July.  Two 3.7-inch guns were moved from A.3 to F.2 on 17th August, followed by two further guns on 17th September.  Major Atkins assumed command of the 2nd H.A.A. Regiment, W.A.A. on 1st November. He was succeeded by Lieutenant T. Hutchinson.  The F.2 site ceased to be operational on 1st December and the personnel moved from that site to D.1 on 15th December.  Major J.W. Watson assumed command on 17th December.[2]

On 15th January 1943, ‘A’ Troop, 5th H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A. took over from the ‘B’ Troop, 6th H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A. at D.1.  ‘B’ Troop moved to B.1, then to D.2 on 29th January and then to C.3 on 19th February.  Captain (acting Major) Watson relinquished command on 25th March and was succeeded by Captain J.H. Eltringham.[3]

Together with the 14th A.A. Brigade and the 1st and 3rd H.A.A. Regiments, W.A.A., the 2nd Regiment embarked at Freetown at the end of May 1943, for service in India.  Sailing via South Africa, the ship arrived at Bombay on 9th July 1943, the Brigade disembarked three days later and moved to Dhond (today Daund), where it came under the command of H.Q. Southern Army.[4] 

The 2nd Regiment left for Assam in September, arriving in the 9th A.A. Brigade area on 10th December 1943; the R.H.Q. and the 6th Battery, W.A.A. at Gauhati; the 308th Battery, R.A and the 5th Battery, W.A.A. at Misamari and Tezpur respectively.[5]

The 6th Battery moved from Gauhati to Manipur Road, which was completed on 18th July 1944.[6] 

The Battery returned to West Africa in the Autumn of 1945, possibly embarking between 6th and 9th October.  It is believed to have disbanded at Freetown by the end of November 1945.

04 August 2025